LAS VEGAS — The wide-growing theme across the NHL this season – youth, speed and skill – caught up with the Vegas Golden Knights in Tuesday’s 3-2 loss to the Utah Mammoth in Game 2 of the opening round.
Mark Stone and Ivan Barbashev scored for the Knights, while Carter Hart stopped 26 shots.
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The veteran-laden Knights chased the game for much of the second and third periods, while Utah’s youngsters shone brightly to help the Mammoth steal home-ice advantage in the best-of-seven series.
Meanwhile, Vegas’ big guns Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner couldn’t find the back of the net, perhaps a cause for concern with the team shifting to Salt Lake City for Games 3 and 4.
Eichel hasn’t scored in either of the first two games and has been limited to two goals in his last 10 games. Since March 14, he has three goals.
Marner hasn’t scored in this series either and has just one goal in his past eight games.
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Utah, which has the 13th youngest team with an average age of 28.15 years old, got its game-winning goal from Logan Cooley, the team’s youngest active player, with six minutes left in the game.
Also scoring for the Mammoth was Dylan Guenther, the second-youngest active player on the ice last night. Veteran MacKenzie Weegar gave Utah its first goal of the game.
Karel Vejmelka made 19 saves to earn the win for Utah.
Vegas was a perfect 4 for 4 on the penalty kill, but it might have been a Knights penalty that set them back a step early in the second period. Nic Dowd was called for tripping Cooley just 2:27 into the period, and the Knights appeared to be on their heels to rest of the game. After being outshot by Vegas in the first period, 10-6, the Knights were outshot by Utah in the second and third periods, 13-4 and 10-7, respectively.
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1 … Carrying over from their aforementioned scoring droughts, Eichel and Marner each had just one shot on goal in the game. That’s not going to cut it in the postseason. Eichel, who averaged 3.1 shots per game during the regular season, had three in Game 1. Marner averaged 2.0 shots per game in the regular season and had just one in Game 1. For the Golden Knights to steal home ice while the series is in Utah, and win this series, these two not only have to put more on net, but also find a way to put more shots in the net.
Barbashev now has a goal in each of the first two games and has scored in three of the past four games. He’s scored six times in the last 14 games. Barbashev’s consistency will be key when the series moves to the Delta Center, which hosts its first playoff game on Friday, in what should be a frenzied atmosphere.
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The Golden Knights continue their best-of-seven playoff series with the Mammoth as the scenery changes to Salt Lake City for Game 3 on Friday.
Vegas Golden Knights left wing Ivan Barbashev (49) looks to deflect the puck towards Utah Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka (70) during the first period of game two of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena.
READ The Hockey News’ Hannah Kirkell’s recap from Game 2:
Mammoth Take Game 2 After Golden Knights Can’t Mount Yet Another Third Period Comeback
Mammoth Take Game 2 After Golden Knights Can’t Mount Yet Another Third Period Comeback Historically, teams that have gone up 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs went on to win their series 87.5% of the time. After winning Game 1 by a score of 4-2, the Vegas Golden Knights entered Tuesday’s matchup with the Utah Mammoth desperate to grab a stranglehold over the series.
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